Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 882 - 881 - Relinquishing Power

The powerful pair now sat in the pleasant pavilion set inside a garden courtyard open to the sky. Lind had not planned on meeting Melody but seeing the young girl and hearing her name had honestly distracted him.

It also seemed to break the tension his very existence brought to the Immortals. Any Immortal could tell what he was but the Celestial Fields did not seem as intimidated as the Heaven Realm lands Immortals seemed to be.

His only guess was that the more profound Laws and high density Qi gave cultivators a metaphorical thicker skin when encountering a being like him. It was also possible that simply reaching the peak of the Sliver Tier had added to his aura more than he expected.

His sliver was vastly different even compared to other 6 elementals that had followed him.

It seemed many of them had 7 sided slivers but theirs were more simplistic with the 6 elements and the final panel being their harmony.

Their power, in general, was far above comparable cultivators.

He was the first to get to the peak of the Sliver Tier and it was entirely possible he gave off a Shard Tier aura without realizing on top of his True Lord aura.

It was likely that the impact of his aura would be reduced once they all ascended.

"So, what brings you to our sect after your victory?" Valkyrie was never one to waste time but he noticed she was a bit more formal compared to previous encounters. She was normally more bold and blunt.

"There are only 3 things, 2 of which are simple notifications to a key ally, but the last is an offer." Lind appreciated efficiency as it meant he could head back to his family faster. He felt like he was having to move too fast as it was and missed simply relaxing.

His children were grown now but still seemed to want to spend time with him.

He just needed some time to spend with them!

"You are not staying?" She guessed the most likely part of it. He nodded and explained how Shi would be taking over for the next 50,000 years.

"I am also having Linghu freed from the Law Binding. I have some experts that will be repairing the damage to it and take over. The siblings have suffered enough and will be able to run the empire in my stead." Valkyrie seemed to be both surprised and supportive of his decision.

"So those are your 2 notifications. What is this proposal?" Lind smirked at how swiftly she moved the conversation along but he had some surprises for her.

"Actually, that was essentially 1 announcement. My other notification is a confirmation that the majority of Immortals will be ascending with me. Those that wish to stay will do so of course, but the only ascension pool known is the once I connected over 40 years ago." Valkyrie frowned at him on that point.

"What about the war? The Fiends will roll over us if all those Immortals leave, the 100 Immortal Fiends will have a feeding frenzy." Lind smiled at her concern.

"Normally, you would be correct but I have it on good authority that the Fiends will scramble to ascend as well. The Celestial Fields have Fiend resources they desperately need." He was not lying at all.

The descent of Immortals from the Celestial Fields was proof enough the ascension pools had reconnected to the Heaven Realm lands.

It would become a race to find them and reach the more powerful realm above.

Unlike anyone else alive, Lind could feel the flow of connections in his senses. There was a massive font of it in the Sands of Tribulation but he could feel others forming even as he sat there with Valkyrie.

A few were within Fiend territory as well.

"You seem so certain. If you can assure me of why you are, I would be more at ease." Her boldness was starting to resurface but he smiled as he let his aura run wild for the first time in awhile.

The instant she felt it, Valkyrie found herself kneeling in front of him! Lind quickly suppressed it but the look of anger and shock on her face made his memory of their first encounter feel avenged.

"I am now the True Lord of Dragons. I am connected to Heaven and Earth even more tightly than before. The ascension pools are reconnecting to the point I expect more to appear in less than a month." His words made her first seem excited but then pale at the implications.

"The Fiends will essentially abandon the Heaven Realm lands to return to more useful places." He nodded at her conclusion.

"The good news is that the vast majority of the Celestial Fields could be considered as reset. There are certainly a few pockets of interest yet they are extremely far apart. The logistics of conquering and holding territory will be the main focus for everyone for the next hundred thousand years easily. I would rather not give them that much free range." His voice was now commanding but he summoned a cube that glowed with sigils and powerful waves of Qi.

He then placed it on the white stone table in between them.

She examined it but could not place the artifact. The fact it had sigils so clearly on its surface told her the likely creator.

"What is that, a new creation?" He smirked but shook his head.

"Actually, this is an already existing artifact but they were notoriously difficult to create. They required a group of Immortal weavers and a good refiner or Forger all working together to pull it off." She narrowed her eyes as Lind was the living embodiment of all those requirements.

"What is it for?" He nudged it towards her. She arched her eyebrow and then infused her Qi into it.

The instant she felt it, the sky flashed with lightning and the cube began to unfold until a tablet took its place. Lines of information flowed faster than the eye could follow until it seemed to appear in her head.

"It is called a Keystone. Its function is very simple. An ascension pool can be locked to an individual to control and monitor at their whim so long as they remain within range. It is predicated on the pool not being owned and further, not being refined by cultivators." His words made her face clear up and then pale!

"You gave me the ascension pool you opened?!" He smiled wide as she shot up and sent her chair flying out of the pavilion. He caught it with some earth and air Qi as he did not want to be blamed for things getting broken.

"I have fallen into a pattern. At each realm, I have established a power and I have been forced to dive into politics or other power struggles I am tired of. I am not naive enough to think I can evade them forever, but I have chosen to fall back and simply establish my Clan." Lind had actually enjoyed the feeling of freedom he had in the Celestial Fields.

He no longer carried the weight of a sect or Empire, but while he said those words he knew the reality was much harsher. He simply had too much on his plate to be more than the head of a clan.

He was the True Lord of Dragons and was still grasping the responsibilities of that role. He also knew he could not devote himself to such powers again, not as a leader anyway.

"You are stepping off the stage?" He liked her metaphor and nodded.

"I entrust the first ascension pool to you and to filter out appropriate candidates to come and earn these from me." More cubes appeared. Valkyrie narrowed her eyes.

The shape of his proposal was becoming clear.

"You no longer have to maintain power, but you will stay involved by supplying Keystones to those I deem worthy. This will elevate the Heavenly Maiden Sect but make it clear that you have a level of power that cannot be trifled with." Lind would give the management to them but his connection to them would act as a shield while they built their power.

He would have the keys to controlling ascension each power would be desperate to have but the Maidens would be the first to stand in front of them.

She also grasped that the first candidates would likely be told where to go to set up the most basic defenses.

They would fence in the Fiends who had no idea what was happening as Lind was a living map!

His role as True Lord would also have to be revealed which would make his clan a fearsome power as time passed.

"What about weavers, elixir master, Forgers, and 6 elementals?" Lind smirked at her question.

"Even you must understand the Sanctuary Empire intentionally taught all who wanted to learn but did not force them to swear oaths of fealty. Immortals are powerful enough to establish their own forces. I will still send out my wisdom but I am no longer needed." She stared at him hard at those words.

The truth was the Inheritance he left behind was the main reason it was all in such a good state. The 6 elementals had basically worked hard and Protean was their harsh judge.

"Ah, I have already reclaimed Protean and collapsed that place when I arrived. I have ways to help him improve and I want to begin work on a true Inheritance. There is actually a lot I want to work on and duties I need to fulfill." Valkyrie could accept that.

"Very well. I accept. It will take a few years to get established–" She froze as he held up his hand.

"Give me designs and it will be built in a week. Also, choose some Elders to send with me and they will be waiting for you when you arrive." The way he casually assured her was frustrating but his record spoke for itself.

In the area of support, Lind Frey was long considered a miracle worker.

"My final question then would be where is your clan going to be established?" Lind only smiled and did not answer. She bowed as she accepted he would not reveal that so easily. In time she would know but not before.

The 2 formed a contract and Romana with Melody were chosen to go with him to the new location their sect would take over.

He also gave her a map of the old world with a location marked on it. It was a possible area where the old main branch of their sect could be found in the Celestial Fields!

After that, Lind left not just their sect but took his entire family in the strange ship to the ascension pool. A massive horde of Immortals followed with their families and other races like the Elementals were able to emerge once more to ascend!

The world was changing and the coming peace would be a race to see who could claim what. War would be avoided on the Alliance side as Lind announced more pools would connect soon.

The Fiend spies relayed that and as he predicted, all activity stopped at the Line. Now the true race began!